technical notes issue 27 | august 2018 - lighting global · lighting global, lighting africa, and...
TRANSCRIPT
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
TECHNICAL NOTES ISSUE 27 | AUGUST 2018
Executive Summary
Recent studies indicate that pico-solar products1 have a
majority market share of off-grid solar devices,
comprising 85% of cumulative global sales, followed by
component-based solar home systems at 13% and plug-
and-play solar home systems at 2% market share.
Furthermore, studies have shown that the pico-solar
market is dominated by non-quality verified (non-QV)
products,2 with an estimated 71% share of the global
market.3 Due to the high prevalence of non-QV pico-
solar products, it is important to understand the quality
of these products relative to those that do meet quality
1 Pico-solar products are defined as lanterns and simple multi-light
systems (which may enable mobile phone charging) with peak PV
module power up to 10 watts. These enable partial or full Tier 1
energy access for a person or household, according to the Sustainable
Energy for All Multi-Tier Framework. 2 Non-quality verified (non-QV) pico-solar products are defined as
modern off-grid lighting and energy products with peak PV module
standards. The drive to establish mandatory standards
for pico-solar products has been based on the premise
that most of the non-QV products being sold in under-
regulated markets are of poor quality, yet we have
limited recent, quantitative data to support this
assertion.
In an effort to fill this knowledge gap, Lighting Global
Quality Assurance conducted laboratory testing of 17
non-QV pico-solar products that are top-sellers in
Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria and Tanzania. The
test results show that all the products evaluated as part
of this study fail to meet Lighting Global’s Quality
power up to 10 W that have not been quality verified according to
Lighting Global. 3 The 2018 Global Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report can be
downloaded at https://www.lightingglobal.org/wp-
content/uploads/2018/03/2018_Off_Grid_Solar_Market_Trends_Re
port_Full.pdf
Quality Matters
In 2017, as part of ongoing efforts to bolster the off-
grid solar market, Lighting Global Quality assurance
tested a group of top-selling non-quality verified solar
products in five domestic markets across Africa and
South Asia. All 17 evaluated products— purchased
from retail stores in Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria,
and Tanzania—failed to meet the Lighting Global
Quality Standards for pico-PV products.
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
Standards for pico-PV products4, which confirms that
these (and likely other) markets are indeed dominated
by sub-standard pico-solar products. Some notable
outcomes of the study:
• 94% of the tested products fail to meet the
Standards due to one or more deficiency that
affects product durability (including battery
protection and durability, physical durability, water
ingress protection, and lumen maintenance).
• 88% of the tested products inaccurately advertise
product performance.
• 88% of the tested products do not include a
consumer-facing warranty.
• 76% of the tested products would require
significant changes to product design and
components to meet the Quality Standards.
The results of this study show that non-QV pico-solar
products most commonly available to base-of-the-
pyramid consumers contain a combination of inaccurate
performance claims and technical flaws, which mislead
and provide low quality to the most vulnerable
consumers. These results give credence to ongoing
efforts to adopt and enforce pico-solar standards at the
national level, as well as other market development
strategies intended to increase the uptake of high-
quality products. Furthermore, the outcomes of this
study suggest that additional research is needed to
more fully understand the quality of “cheap” pico-solar
products, and to gain insights about consumer
experiences with both sub-standard and high quality
products.
Given the quality and performance issues identified
through laboratory testing, the results of this study can
be used by the public sector and by market
transformation programs to inform continued efforts to
promote high quality pico-solar products and to combat
infiltration of low-quality products. This study also
provides useful insight into the common shortcomings
of non-QV products, which helps us develop a more
4 The Lighting Global Quality Standards for pico-solar products can be
downloaded at https://www.lightingglobal.org/resource/lighting-
global-quality-standards/ 5 The 2018 Global Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report can be
downloaded at https://www.lightingglobal.org/wp-
nuanced understanding of the market and better target
efforts to improve product quality.
Introduction
The Lighting Global Quality Assurance (QA) Program
contributes to efforts to achieve universal energy access
by helping industry stakeholders easily identify good
quality off-grid solar products. The QA Program, which is
part of the World Bank Group’s broader set of off-grid
solar market development programs under the names
Lighting Global, Lighting Africa, and Lighting Asia, is
founded upon internationally accepted test methods
and quality standards that are used to evaluate off-grid
solar products with solar PV modules ranging from less
than 1 peak watt to 350 watts peak. Over the past 10
years, Lighting Global has overseen more than 800 off-
grid solar product tests, which gives us detailed insight
into the progression of product quality, technologies and
design innovation. Our view of the industry, however,
does have some limitations. Since our testing is
generally focused on products from quality-oriented
companies that have chosen to engage with Lighting
Global, we have limited data for non-quality verified
(non-QV) products of the type that are commonly
available in key African and Asian markets.
Recent studies indicate that non-QV pico-solar products
have a dominant share of the global market. The 2018
Global Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report estimates
that 71% of global sales are from companies that are
not affiliated with Lighting Global or GOGLA, including
products that are either branded or generic, with the
latter including no-name brands, copycats, and
counterfeits5. On a country level, the markets from
which products were selected for this study also have a
strong prevalence of non-QV products, as summarized
in Table 1.
content/uploads/2018/03/2018_Off_Grid_Solar_Market_Trends_Re
port_Full.pdf
2
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
TABLE 1.
Prevalence of non-quality verified products in countries from
which products were selected for this study
CO UNTR Y E STIMATED MARKE T SH A RE
OF NON- QV P ICO -SOL AR
PRODUCTS
Ethiopia 57%6
Kenya 35%7
Myanmar 90%5
Nigeria 70%5
Tanzania 72%8
These prior studies do not assess, however, the quality
and performance of non-QV products relative to those
that meet Lighting Global’s Quality Standards. Through
a combination of field observations and anecdotal
evidence, we know that at least some of the non-QV
products exhibit low quality and perform poorly.
However, there has been no rigorous quantitative
assessment of the quality of non-QV products in recent
years. This study is intended to answer a fundamental
question: Are the prevalent non-QV pico-solar products
really sub-standard, and, if so, what are their main
points of failure?
Methodology
Between June and November 2017, the Lighting Global
Quality Assurance Program carried out market
surveillance testing of 17 pico-solar products (i.e.
products with solar modules rated at 10 peak watts or
less) that are not quality verified by Lighting Global. We
worked with staff of the IFC Lighting Africa and Asia
Programs in 2017 to identify 13 top-selling non-QV
products (or “product models”) from market outlets in
6 The October 2016 Lighting Africa / Ipsos report “Off Grid Market
Study – Ethiopia” can be downloaded at
https://www.lightingafrica.org/wp-
content/uploads/2018/04/Lighting-Ethiopia-Deep-Dive-Retail-Report-
Feb-2017-.pdf 7 The Global Off-Grid Solar Market Report for Jan.-June 2016 can be
downloaded at https://www.lightingglobal.org/wp-
content/uploads/2016/10/global_off-grid_solar_market_report_jan-
june_2016_public-1.pdf
Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, and Tanzania. This
study also includes four non-QV products that were
purchased from the Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania
markets in 2016. The product samples, which were
purchased anonymously from retail outlets, were tested
by laboratories in the Lighting Global Lab Network9
according to the test methods specified in IEC TS
62257-9-5. For 12 of the 17 products, the labs were
provided with 7 samples of each product, which allowed
them to carry out each test with a sample size of two
(n=2). Fewer samples were provided for five of the
tested products, which allowed each test to be
conducted on a single sample (n=1). We compared the
test results to Lighting Global’s Quality Standards for
pico-solar products to illustrate how the non-QV
products’ performance and quality stack up to products
that are quality verified by Lighting Global10.
Detailed Results
In Table 2 below, we have compiled key information
about the tested products and compliance with the
Quality Standards. This is followed by a discussion of
the results divided into two categories: Consumer-facing
Information and Durability & Safety. The Photo
Appendix at the end of the document provides visual
examples of the low-quality components and
workmanship found in several of the tested products.
8 The November 2017 report “Deep Dive Supply Chain Report for
Tanzania” can be downloaded at
https://www.lightingafrica.org/publication/deep-dive-supply-chain-
report-tanzania/ 9 Details about Lighting Global’s Lab Network are available at
https://www.lightingglobal.org/quality-assurance-program/test-
laboratory-network/ 10 An up-to-date database of products that meet Lighting Global’s
Quality Standards can be accessed at
https://www.lightingglobal.org/products/
3
TABLE 2: SUMMARY OF TEST RESULTS FOR NON-QUALITY-VERIFIED PICO-SOLAR PRODUCTS
a Product manufacturers and models have been anonymized for this report.
b To comply with the Lighting Global Pico-PV Quality Standards, products must
have a consumer-facing warranty with at least one year of coverage.
c To comply with the Lighting Global Pico-PV Quality Standards, products must
accurately report on the packaging the light output (lumens) and solar run time
(hours) for the highest setting.
* Indicates product models that were tested with a sample size of 1 (n=1)
“NR”: Aspect not reported on consumer-facing information
“N/A”: Not applicable (product not portable for water ingress protection, or
product does not include AC-DC charger)
“not assessed”: Aspect not tested due to product sample limitations
“battery not functional”: Unable to perform test due to battery failure during
testing
Battery
capacityPV Power
Full-battery
Run Time
Solar Run
Timec
Luminous
Fluxc
Battery
Storage
Durability
Battery Deep
Discharge
Protection
Battery
Overcharge
Protection
Lumen
Maintenance
Physical
Durability
Physical
Ingress
Protection
Water Ingress
Protection
(portable
products only)
AC-DC
Charger
Safety
1 Solar Lamp #1 Ethiopia NO FAIL FAIL NR FAIL NR NR PASS FAIL FAIL PASS PASS PASS FAIL N/A
2Multi-Light Solar
Kit #2Ethiopia NO FAIL PASS PASS FAIL NR NR FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL FAIL
3Multi-Light Solar
Kit #3Ethiopia NO FAIL PASS PASS PASS NR NR PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL PASS FAIL FAIL
4Multi-Light Solar
Kit #4Ethiopia NO FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL NR NR PASS FAIL FAIL FAIL PASS PASS N/A FAIL
5 Solar Lantern #5 Nigeria NO FAIL FAIL NR FAIL NR NR PASS FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS FAIL FAIL
6 Solar Lantern #6 Nigeria NO FAIL FAIL NR NR NR NR PASS FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS FAIL FAIL
7Solar Desk Lamp
#7Tanzania NO PASS PASS NR NR PASS NR PASS FAIL FAIL PASS PASS PASS FAIL N/A
8Multi-Light Solar
Kit #8Tanzania NO FAIL PASS FAIL PASS NR PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS N/A N/A
9Solar Desk Lamp
#9Tanzania NO FAIL FAIL NR FAIL NR NR FAIL PASS FAIL FAIL PASS PASS FAIL N/A
10 Solar Lamp #10 Tanzania NO FAIL NR NR FAIL NR NR FAIL FAIL FAIL PASS PASS PASS FAIL N/A
11 Solar Lamp #11 Kenya NO PASS PASS NR NR PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL PASS PASS FAIL N/A
12 Solar Lantern #12 Kenya NO FAIL FAIL NR FAIL NR NR PASS FAIL FAIL PASS PASS PASS FAIL FAIL
13Multi-Light Solar
Kit #13 *Myanmar NO FAIL FAIL PASS NR NR NR not assessed FAIL FAIL PASS PASS
not
assessednot assessed N/A
14Multi-Light Solar
Kit #14 *Myanmar NO FAIL FAIL PASS PASS NR NR FAIL FAIL FAIL PASS PASS PASS N/A N/A
15Solar Ambient
Light #15 *Myanmar NO FAIL
battery non-
functionalNR NR NR NR
battery non-
functional
battery non-
functional
battery non-
functionalFAIL PASS PASS N/A N/A
16Multi-Light Solar
Kit #16 *Tanzania NO FAIL PASS PASS FAIL NR NR FAIL PASS PASS PASS not assessed
not
assessedN/A N/A
17Multi-Light Solar
Kit #17 *Kenya NO FAIL FAIL PASS NR NR NR
battery non-
functionalFAIL FAIL FAIL not assessed
not
assessedN/A FAIL
Truth-in-advertising Battery & Charge Controller Safety and Durability
No. Product Modela Sampling
Location
Meets
Lighting
Global Quality
Standards
Warrantyb
4
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
Consumer-Facing Information
The test results show that most of the non-QV products
that were part of this study lack important consumer-
facing information such as warranty, solar run time11
and light output. In addition, most of the tested
products had at least one advertised performance claim
that was inaccurate. Lack of basic consumer-facing
specifications combined with inaccurate performance
claims makes it difficult for consumers to make
informed purchasing decisions.
Warranty
Only two of the 17 products (12%) included a consumer-
facing warranty. To meet the Lighting Global Pico-PV
Quality Standards, a product must include a consumer-
facing warranty that covers the entire product. Lighting
Global’s assessment of product warranty does not
include verification that the warranty is being honored,
nor an evaluation of the level of support that is being
offered in practice.
Previous studies of consumer preferences conducted by
Lighting Global indicate that availability of a warranty is
an important consideration when consumers are
making purchasing decisions. While absence of a
warranty and lack of confidence that a warranty will be
honored may deter consumers from purchasing a
product, prior market research shows that the lower
cost of many non-QV products without warranties often
overcomes any hesitation associated with a product not
having a warranty. Moreover, in some markets many
end users aren’t even aware that a valid and fully
supported warranty is a real possibility, which
undermines their interest to purchase warrantied
products over those that do not have one. To address
consumer skepticism about product warranties,
manufacturers and retailers of high quality, warranted
products should emphasize the validity of their warranty
11 Solar run time is the duration (hours) of lighting provided from one
full day of solar charging. The standard solar charging day is defined
as an incident solar resource of 5 kWh/m2. 12 To meet the Lighting Global Pico-PV Quality Standards, all
consumer-facing information included with a product must be truthful
and accurate. Any numeric aspects (such as battery capacity, PV
power and run time) must be at least 85% of the advertised ratings.
service and fully inform consumers about the warranty
terms prior to purchase.
Product Specifications
Only two of the 17 products (12%) included either solar
run time or luminous flux specifications on their
packaging, both of which are required to meet the
Lighting Global Quality Standards for pico-solar
products. The products more commonly advertised
aspects such as battery capacity and full-battery run
time, yet product testing shows that the advertised
battery capacity and full-battery run time values were
often inaccurate. In contrast, advertised PV module
power values were more likely to be accurate. In total,
14 of the 17 tested products had at least one
advertised value that did not meet our truth-in-
advertising requirements12. See below and Figure 1 for
additional information.
Advertised Battery Capacity
Battery capacity was advertised for nearly all the tested
products (16 out of 17 had consumer-facing battery
capacity specifications). Of these 16 products:
• 6 products (38%) accurately specified the battery
capacity;
• 9 products (56%) inaccurately specified the battery
capacity, with measured results that were 35%
less, on average, than the advertised values; and
• 1 product had a non-functional battery.
Advertised Full-Battery Run Time13
• Eleven of the 17 products (65%) included full-
battery runtime specifications.
• Only 3 of these 11 products (27%) accurately
specified the full-battery run time.
• For the 8 products that inaccurately advertised full-
battery run time, the measured values were, on
average, 43% less than the advertised value.
All advertised features shall be functional, and any consumer-facing
description of the product must be truthful. No statements should
mislead buyers or end-users about the features or utility of the
product. 13 Full-battery run time is the duration (hours) of lighting provided from
a fully charged battery.
5
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
Advertised PV Module Power
• Eight of the 17 tested products (47%) advertised
the PV module power. The results show that only
one of these eight products (13%) inaccurately
specified the PV power.
FIGURE 1: SUMMARY OF TRUTH-IN-ADVERTISING FOR
CONSUMER-FACING INFORMATION
NOT REPORTED - Specification not reported in consumer-facing
information
FAIL – Specification reported in consumer-
facing information was more than 15%
higher than the actual value, thereby failing
to meet Lighting Global’s truth-in
advertising requirement
PASS – Specification reported in
consumer-facing information was accurate,
thereby meeting Lighting Global’s truth-in-
advertising requirement
6
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
Durability & Safety
The test results show that most of the non-QV products
that were part of this study were not designed to be
durable and/or safe for the users. For products to
provide safe, reliable and long-term energy services,
they must include:
• High quality batteries that are maintained within
appropriate voltage levels
• LEDs that provide constant light output throughout
the expected product lifetime
• Protection against damage due to ingress of water
and foreign objects
• Components such as housing, switches and cables
that can withstand typical use throughout the
expected product lifetime
• Safe charging mechanisms
Battery Storage Durability14
Following testing, nine of the 16 tested products (53%)
passed the battery storage durability test. Of the
remaining products:
• 5 products failed with an average permanent
capacity loss of 40% (where 25% capacity loss is
considered a “pass”).
• 2 products failed due to catastrophic battery failure
during testing.
LED Lumen Maintenance15
Five of the 17 tested products failed the lumen
maintenance test, with an average permanent decrease
in light output of 9% after only 500 hours of operation.
Ingress Protection16
• We were very pleased to see that all the 14
products that were assessed for physical ingress
protection met this aspect of the Lighting Global
Quality Standard.
• However, all the portable products that were
assessed for water ingress protection (10 products
in total) failed to meet the Lighting Global Quality
Standard.
Physical Durability
Of the 14 products that were tested for physical
durability (including assessment of switches and
connectors, cables, and drop tests), four products (29%)
failed to meet this aspect of the Lighting Global Quality
Standard.
AC-DC Charger Safety
Seven of the products evaluated in this study could be
charged by AC mains. None of these products carried
approval from a recognized consumer electronics safety
certification organization for the included AC-DC
charger.
Overall, none of the products met all of the durability
and safety requirements specified in the Lighting Global
Quality Standards for pico-solar products. See Figure 2
for a graphic summary of the results.
14 Battery storage durability is a measure of battery capacity
degradation from storage, which can indicate batteries that could
degrade prematurely under typical use.
15 LED lumen maintenance is a measure of the amount of light
degradation after constant operation of an LED, which can provide
valuable insight into the quality of the LEDs and/or the associated
circuitry.
16 Ingress protection is assessed by determining the degree of
protection provided by enclosures of electrical equipment against
penetration by foreign bodies, dust and water.
7
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
FIGURE 2: SUMMARY OF COMPLIANCE WITH LIGHTING GLOBAL QUALITY STANDARDS
(NOT INCLUDING TRUTH-IN-ADVERTISING REQUIREMENTS)
FAIL – Product failed to meet the Lighting Global Standard for specific aspect
PASS – Product successfully met the Lighting Global Standard for specific aspect
8
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
Summary of Findings
The test results indicate that none of the 17 non-QV
pico-solar products evaluated as part of this study met
all the requirements of the Lighting Global Pico-PV
Quality Standards. In the remainder of this section we
present high level trends from the study, including both
promising and discouraging outcomes identified
through laboratory testing.
The Good News
While it is quite concerning that none of the selected
products met the Lighting Global Pico-PV Quality
Standards, the test results do show that, collectively,
many products fared well with regards to the following
aspects of the Standards17:
• 100% of the products met physical ingress
protection requirements
• 79% of the products met requirements for physical
durability
• 69% of the products met LED lumen maintenance
requirements
• 58% of the products met battery durability
requirements
A notable and encouraging outcome is that one of the
tested products – a top-seller in the Tanzanian market –
met all the requirements for physical durability, safety,
battery durability and charge control. To meet the
Lighting Global Quality Standards, this product would
only need to provide a suitable warranty and modify
consumer-facing information about PV module power
and run time.
This leads us to believe that there are some non-QV
products of nearly acceptable quality that could benefit
from engaging with Lighting Global. These products
would require relatively modest adjustments to bring
them in-line with the Quality Standards, thereby
providing consumers with better and more reliable
energy services.
17 For detailed information about the requirements for physical
ingress protection, physical durability, LED lumen maintenance and
battery durability, refer to the Lighting Global Pico-PV Quality
The Not-So-Good News
The tested products had limited and often inaccurate
consumer-facing information. In addition, nearly all the
tested products had some combination of technical
issues that would lead to relatively short lifetimes and
could contribute to consumer dissatisfaction. Following
are the most common deficiencies identified in this
study:
• None of the portable products met the standard for
water ingress protection.
• Only 37% of the products had proper protection
against deep discharge and overcharging of the
battery.
• Of the seven products that included AC-DC
chargers, none of them carried approval from a
recognized consumer electronics safety
certification organization.
• Only 12% of the products included a consumer-
facing warranty.
• Of the products that advertised battery capacity or
full-battery run time, less than half did so
accurately.
Opportunities for Further Research
While this study provides useful evidence about the
quality and performance of high market-share pico-solar
products from selected countries, we must acknowledge
that we can only gain a certain level of insight from
laboratory testing. Additionally, the scope of this
research covered a small fraction of the non-QV
products available in selected markets. As a result, we
should be cautious about drawing overly broad
conclusions from this study.
Quantity of Product Models and Samples Due to limitations in time, budget and capacity, this
study was done on 17 pico-solar product models that
were selected from five countries. While we targeted
products that were identified as top-sellers in each
Standards: https://www.lightingglobal.org/resource/lighting-global-
quality-standards/
9
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
market, this study could have been strengthened by
testing a greater number of product models from each
of the selected countries. Moreover, the results would
be even more robust if we had been able to test
products from other countries in Africa and Asia. As
plug-and-play solar home system (SHS) kits continue to
increase in prevalence, a similar study focusing on non-
QV SHS may also be warranted.
As described above, product testing for this study was
done with a sample size of either one or two. While test
results from a small sample size can provide a good
indication of product quality, there is inherently greater
uncertainty in the results, as compared to results from
full IEC 62257-9-5 Quality Test Method (QTM) testing18.
In some instances, we received inconclusive test results
due to catastrophic failures and the inability to conduct
destructive testing. This could have been avoided if
testing had been carried out on a greater number of
samples.
Consumer Experience and Preference
When it comes to product quality and performance,
laboratory test results are just part of the story; they do
not tell us about the consumer experience with non-
QV products and how they compare to QV products.
There are many more questions that should be explored
in greater depth to understand the prevalence of sub-
standard products in off-grid solar markets, as well as
the motivations behind consumers’ preferences and
purchasing decisions.
While we know that non-QV products have a major
share of the global market and we can conclude that
many top-selling non-QV products are sub-standard, this
study does not provide insights about consumers’
experiences with these products. As a starting point,
further investigation is warranted to better understand
product cost effectiveness. Retail prices for quality-
verified and competing non-QV products can be
assessed in conjunction with laboratory and field test
results to compare the cost of energy services provided.
18 The comprehensive QTM test in IEC 62257-9-5, used to assess
products for Lighting Global quality verification, uses a sample size of
six for pico-solar products.
This kind of apples-to-apples comparison could be used
to support or refute a common belief that high-quality
pico-solar products are more cost effective than low-
quality, low-cost products over the product lifetime.
Assessment of the marginal cost to bring sub-standard
products into compliance with the Quality Standards
would be an important part of such an analysis.
Additional questions about consumer expectations and
perceptions of product quality remain to be more
thoroughly examined:
• Are non-QV products meeting consumers’
expectations with regards to quality and
performance?
• Are consumers making informed purchases of sub-
standard products with the understanding that
they are likely to fail relatively quickly?
• Is the purchase of sub-standard products due in
part to a lack of confidence in more expensive,
quality-verified products?
We also do not currently have a complete
understanding of the level of after-sales service that is
being provided. Further investigation of the provision of
repair services, customer support and spare parts after
making an initial sale would be valuable for both non-QV
products and those that meet the Lighting Global
Quality Standards. Some key questions include:
If and how are warranties being valued?
Are faulty products being repaired/replaced in
a timely manner?
Do consumers have access to technicians and
spare parts after expiration of product
warranties?
10
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
Recommendations
Manufacturers of off-grid solar products are encouraged
to design and sell products that comply with the Lighting
Global Quality Standards. In some cases, for the
products evaluated in this study, only small changes to
the design of a product or its packaging are needed to
come into compliance with the Lighting Global Quality
Standards.
Purchasers should continue to look for products that
meet the Lighting Global Quality Standards when they
are in the market for pico-solar products. There is
substantial risk that non-QV products may not perform
as advertised, fail prematurely, and, therefore,
disappoint users.
Other market actors keen to better understand which
products meet consumers’ expectations for quality
should conduct additional research, both in the lab and
in the field. This is especially important for those with an
interest to establish a baseline and improve conditions
in a particular national market, as this study combines
test results for products drawn from multiple markets.
11
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
Photo AppendixThe test methods described in IEC TS 62257-9-5 include a visual inspection of the product, which is comprised of an
assessment of all consumer-facing information and a detailed examination of the exterior and interior of the product. The
following photos taken during the visual inspection illustrate problems identified when testing these non-quality verified
products.
NiMH batteries with leaked electrolyte
When a battery is faulty, of low quality, or stored at a deeply discharged state, the battery cell can rupture and leak electrolyte.
The battery pack in this product was not functional, and has leaked corrosive chemicals that damaged adjacent electronic
components.
Poor quality workmanship
Several instances of poor workmanship were observed during the assessment of the non-QV products, including:
Soldering problems
o Cold solder joints – When the solder did not melt completely it forms a joint that is unreliable and
prone to disconnecting over time.
o Insufficient wetting – When too little solder is used, it forms an incomplete bond with the PCB. This
can result in fragile and/or partial connections that are unlikely to be durable.
12
T E C H N I C A L N O T E S I S S U E 27 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 8
©Lighting Global
Quality Matters
Wiring problems
o “Wire spaghetti” – When wires connecting a product’s internal components are excessively long and poorly
organized, they are prone to damage and disconnections. Long, tangled internal wiring is generally an indication of
poor product quality.
o Pinched and uninsulated wires – When a product is poorly assembled, wires can be pinched between components,
which can sever the wire or make the connections fragile. Wires that lack insulation cause a risk of making
damaging or dangerous electrical contact with other electronic components.
Corrosion on printed circuit board (PCB) and
electronic components
Rusty PCB surface suggests exposure to high
humidity, which can damage electronic
components and cause short circuits. Corrosion
damages the product, possibly resulting in
reduced or non-functionality, and reduced
durability.
Limited and unclear consumer-facing information
Inadequate and/or unclear product information
available to the consumer causes confusion and can be
misleading. In this case, the warnings issued on the
product packaging could be easily misinterpreted.
13